Food Of The Week: Chocolate

 

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Chocolate is delicious. To some, chocolate is considered the food of the gods. There are many different types of chocolate including, bars, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, white chocolate(which has no cocoa solids only cocoa butter.), milk chocolate, dark chocolate(which is high in antioxidants.),  chocolate chips, baking chocolate, and many other kinds. There are also M&M's which are candy coated pieces of chocolate. On many holidays there is chocolate given such, on Easter chocolate eggs and bunnies are given(and of many other candies as well.), on Hanukkah chocolate coins are sometimes given with Jewish religious symbols such as the menorah and dreidel, on Christmas Santa Claus, snowmen, reindeer, and other Christmas symbols are given as chocolates, and on Valentine's Day boxes of chocolates, usually in heart shaped boxes, and heart shaped chocolates are given, it is also given for other holidays as well. Chocolate is also used to make beverages such as chocolate milk, hot chocolate, and chocolate milkshakes. Chocolate is a very useful thing and most people love it, including me. There are also many things that are made with chocolate like chocolate lava cake, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate donuts, chocolate muffins, and so much more. Here are some recipes for some baked goods.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

:makes 3 dozen 2 and a half inch cookies

12 tablespoons butter(A stick and a half of butter)

1 and a 1/4 cups of light brown sugar(firmly packed)

1/4 cups Lyle's Golden Syrup or Steen's Pure Cane Syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C.

Beat the butter, light brown sugar, and golden syrup/can syrup together until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and then mix in the egg. Beat well. Beat in the flour, then stir in the chocolate chips. Drop cookie dough by the rounded teaspoon onto lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, just until lightly browned at the edges. For the chewiest cookies, do not over bake. The cookies will look slightly underdone in the middle, but will set up as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely( although if you do not have one just let the cookies cool on the pan or a plate.) To maintain the chewiest texture, store in an airtight container with a slice of apple or a sugar softener. These are great with a glass of milk!

Nutrition Info per 1 cookie:

143 calories 7g fat 1g protein 6g complex carbs 14g sugar

Chocolate Lava Cake

Makes: 1 9-inch cake, 12 servings, or 16 small cakes

Milk Chocolate Lava Truffle:                                            Cake:

2/3 cup milk chocolate finely chopped                   2/3 cup semisweet                            2 tablespoons heavy cream                                   chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons softened butter           8 tablespoons(1 stick) of butter

                                                                       4 large eggs, separated

                                                                                     2/3 cup sugar

                                                                     1/4 natural cocoa, sifted

                                                                 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

                                                                                1/4 teaspoon salt

                                                Sifted confectioners' sugar for dusting

For the chocolate lava truffle filling:

In a heatproof bowl, combine the milk chocolate, crean, and butter. Place over an inchof simmering water and melt, stirring, until the mixture is smooth (or melt slowly, stirring regulary, in the microwave). Remove the bowl from heat and set aside.

If you're making the 9-inch cake, take a 7-inch plate (salad or dessert size) and spray it with nonstick spray. Pour the melted chocolate onto the plate and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

If your making the small cakes, put the bowl in the fridge and stir every 5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick. Scoop individual truffles out of the bowl (you'll need 16) with a teaspoon, cookie scoop, or melon balled. Put the scooped truffles on a plate and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F or 160/170 degrees C.

For The Cake( this applies to both the 9-inch and the 16 small cakes): Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted, then remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1/3 cup of the sugar until they're thick, lemon-colored, and fall in a ribbon from the beater. Add the sifted cocoa, vanilla, and salt to the egg mixture, stirring until combined. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar to soft peaks. Fold these gently into the chocolate mixture, one third at a time, taking care not to deflate the whites. It's okay if some streaks of white remain when the batter is poured into the pan. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the batter.

For the 9-inch cake: Pour the rest of the batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Peel the hardened chocolate lava truffle mixture from the plate and place it in the center of the cake, pressing very gently. Cover the truffle completely, sealing it inside the cake, with the 1 and a 1/2 cups of reserved batter. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes , until the cake pulls from the edge of the pan and the top looks set. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Put a plate on top of the cake pan, then flip everything over to invert the cake. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar and serve warm.

For The Small Cake: Pour the batter into 16 greased well in 2 muffin pans, filling the wells to 1/2 inch below the top. Bake the cake in a preheated 300 degrees F/ 150 degrees C for 15 minutes; remove from the oven and place one truffle in each cup, pushing them down until they're flush with the top of the cake. Cover the holes with a heaping tablespoon of the reserved batter. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the cakes have risen and fallen back down again. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 20 minutes to set up before taking the cakes out of the pans. You can serve the cakes, with raspberry sauce or whipped cream, at this point. Or cool the cakes completely, wrap them well, and reheat them before serving, in a microwave on medium power for 45 seconds, or in a 300 degrees F/ 150 degrees C oven for 3 minutes.